Prince Edward has created outrage by suggesting the death of a boy doing a Duke of Edinburgh Award could attract more participants.

The Prince was visiting Sydney to mark the 50th anniversary of the adventure scheme when he made the extraordinary outburst.

He said he was not aware of the case of 17-year-old David Iredale, who died of dehydration after getting lost in the Bush in 2006.

But he told about how the death of a young British participant in the early years of the scheme boosted its popularity.

The prince, 45, declared: "Suddenly the award, which was new... its reputation among young people was, 'Wow, this is serious.

You could die doing this.'" Aussie commentators attacked his remarks as insensitive.

They also mocked the prince's fitness - referring to when he was 22 and forced to quit a Marine training course. David's mum Mary Anne refused to comment on Edward's remarks but blasted the Duke of Edinburgh Awards, adding: "It's not regulated well enough in Australia."